Traction-engine.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903,

J. K. KENDRIGK. TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29, 1902,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 726,939. PAITBNTED MAY 5, 1903.

" J. K.KENDRIGK.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1902.

2 BHEETSSHEET 2..

N0 MODEL.

I M I gmfi rye/him 7 Y :fi

UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. KENDRICK, OF GERMANTOWN, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,939, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed April 29, 1902. Serial No. 105,128. (No model.)-

To all whom, it nutty concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES K. KENDRIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Germantown, in the county of Glenn, State of California, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Traction -Engines and Steam-Flows; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of en gines and steam-plows known as tractionengines, and particularly to that class of traction-engines in which the power of the engine is directed to the progression of wheels.

upon which the frame of the engine and boiler are mounted and by which a series of plows attached behind the frame are drawn and operated. v

My invention consists of a frame of a certain construction upon which is mounted the engine and boiler, to the rear of which frame is a frame supporting a series of plows suitably connected to the engine-frame, and of bearing-wheels supporting the frame of the engine and boiler, which bearing-wheels are adapted to be supplied with interchangeable arms for the purpose of giving greater traction when needful in passing over soils where the resistance of the plows is great, also in the construction and combination of other devices, which I shall hereinafter describe and specifically claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved traction-engine and steam-plow. Fig. 2 is a lefthand side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached section of one of the bearing-wheels. Fig. 4 is a detached side view of Fig. 3.

Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

1 represents the main bearing and traction wheels, upon which are mounted the frame, consisting of longitudinal beams 2, a front cross-beam 6, and a rear cross-beam 7, as will be more fully shown.

4. designates a front or guiding wheel located within a circular yoke 5, which yoke 5 is connected to the main frameby radial beams 3,which are attached to the front crossbeam 6 at their rear ends.

The rear cross-beam 7 is diagonally attached at the rear ends of the longitudinal framebeams 2, to which cross-beam 7 is connected by a controlling device, as will be hereinafter shown, a plow tie-beam 8, having a companion beam 9 in its rear, by which a series of plowbeams 10 are connected together.

11 represents the plows, of any suitablev number, attached one each to the plow-beams 10, the series of plows being connected to the main frame by horizontal draft-chains 12, as will be shown.

13 represents regulating vertical chains, which are attached at their lower ends to the outer ends of the plow tie-beams 8 and attheir upper ends to levers 14, each lever 14. being supplied with a handle 15, engaging with a ner frame-beams 2, of which crank-shaft 21 is a'crank suitably connected to the engine.

22 represents the boiler, of any suitable construction, and which is preferably located between themain wheels 1. Q

23 represents the smoke-stack of the fireplace, connected with the boiler 22.

25 represents the main'or supporting shafts for the bearing-wheels 1, having their bearings upon the longitudinal frame-beams 2.

26 represents eccentrics loosely attached upon the shafts 25, to each of which eccentrics is rigidly attached a sprocket 27, upon each of which eccentrics 26 a strap 28 is fastened in the usual manner.

21 represents the grausers on the faces of the wheels 1, which grausers' are provided with slots through which arms 30 protrude and also through parallel slots in the tires of the wheels 1, the arms 30 being hinged to the straps 28, as will be shown.

31 represents arms rigidly attached to the straps 28, so that the straps 28 may be turned in unison with the wheels 1, which arms 31 comprehend the arms 30, by means of slotted heads 29 on the ends of the arms 31, which slots embrace the arms 30.

34 is a shaft by which the position of the eccentrics 26 may be shifted when desired by means of sprockets on the ends of the shaft 34 and chain belts 32 engaging with and connecting the sprockets 33 with the sprockets 27 and the eccentrics 26.

35 is a crank, which may be operated by hand and is secured at one endof the shaft 34, its purpose being to change the vertical position of the arms in relation to the grausers 21 and tires of the wheels 1.

36 represents hubs of the main wheels, and 37 represents spokes of the same, both of any ordinary pattern.

38 represents pins connecting the arms 30 and straps 28 by means of lugs 39 on the straps 28, the connection described forming the pivot or hinged ends of the arms 30.

41 represents the outside ends of the arms 30, which protrude through the tires of the wheels 1 and engage with the slotted heads 29 of the arms 31.

Staples 24 attach the draft-chains 12 at their respective front and rear ends to any suitable part of the main frame and plowframe.

The machinery of the engine is not shown in complete detail; but it may be of any desired pattern, preferably located on top of the boiler and suitably connected to the crankshaft. 7

The manner of operating my improved traction-engine and steam-plow is as follows: The series of plows are placed in position for plowing and their depth regulated by the system of levers which I have explained heretofore. The power is then applied to the wheels lby the machinery connecting thesame with the engine and the entire machine progresses, and except on unusually hard soils the grausers 21 furnish sufficient hold upon the ground; but when the plow encounters unusually hard soils the traction isincreased by means of the ends 41 of the arms 30 protruding through the grausers 21 and tires of the wheels 1, accomplished by depressing the end of the handle upon the shaft 34, thereby shifting the position of the eccentrics 26, causing the ends 41 of the adjustably-attached arms 30 to vertically slide through, respectively, the slotted heads 29 of the arms 31, the slots in the tires of the wheels 1, and the slots in the gransers 21, thereby causing an increased hold for the wheels 1 upon the ground being traversed by the machine. Reversing the handle 35 upon the shaft 34 by the aid of the sprockets 33 and 27 and the connecting chain belts 32 the ends 41 are Withdrawn from the ground, the grausers 21, as before, resuming their normal functions upon the tires of the wheels 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is I The combination of a frame, a shaft car ried thereby, a wheel mounted on the shaft, and having openings in its rim, and also having teeth at the inner side of its rim, an adjustable eccentric arranged on the shaft, a sprocket-gear fixed with respect to said eccentric, acrank-shaftjournaled on the frame, and carrying a sprocket-gear, a sprocketchain connecting said gear and that fixed to the eccentric, a shaft jonrnaled on the frame and carrying a pinion intermeshed with the teeth on the wheel-rim, and means for rotating the latter shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES K. KENDRICK. Witnesses:

JOSHUA B. WEBSTER, Mrs. L. P. KENDRICK. 

